OSCE Mission survey: Over 89% Montenegrins believe that State Election Commission’s work influences public trust in democracy and elections

As many as 89.9% of Montenegrin citizens believe that the functioning of the State Election Commission (SEC) affects the democracy of electoral processes and the trust that citizens have in the elections in Montenegro. This is one of key findings from a Survey on Public Perceptions and Confidence in Election Management Bodies in Montenegro, commissioned by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and conducted by the Damar agency. In this regard, the Mission considers the appointment of a new SEC Chair as a matter of urgency.

From 8 to 17 October 2021, a public opinion poll to examine citizens’ attitudes on trust in the bodies of the election administration in Montenegro, with a focus on the State Election Commission (SEC), was conducted on a representative national sample of 1,200 respondents. In addition, the survey covered topics related to the general assessments of citizens about the elections and the ongoing electoral reform process.

The findings suggest that there is a need to further strengthen the transparency and professionalism of election management bodies. Majority of respondents said that if they were aware that the SEC acted in an unprofessional and biased manner, this would have influenced their decision to vote.

Slightly more than half of the citizens (51.8%) generally think that the elections in Montenegro are fair and free, while somewhat less than a third of them (31.9%) believe that the elections are not honest and free. When it comes to the electoral reform, almost half of the citizens (49.7%) believe that it is needed, while most of them (58%) believe that it is needed urgently.

Among OSCE/ODIHR priority recommendations, consideration should be given to undertaking a comprehensive reform of the electoral legal framework. The survey concluded that Parliament should ensure the continuation of the process of the comprehensive reform of electoral legislation through the establishment of a genuine and sustainable dialogue between political parties and with the active participation of representatives of academia and NGOs with expertise in this field.

This research was conducted as part of the Mission’s work with the State Election Commission to enhance its capacity to administer elections in line with OSCE Commitments and international best practices.